Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of Muscular Dystrophy. It is characterized by progressive weakening of the limbs. Nearly all children with DMD lose the ability to walk sometime between ages 7 and 12. In the teen years, activities involving the arms, legs or trunk require assistance or mechanical support. In DMD, limitations of wrist movements generally begin by 8 years of age, and wrist, elbow and shoulder contractures begin between 8 and 14 years of age. Such deformities accelerate the loss of strength and function. As a consequence, many DMD patients lack the strength to raise their arms to a sufficient angle to allow them to feed themselves. These individuals, however, generally retain some use of their fingers and thumbs, and can, with assistance, continue to perform everyday tasks such as eating, grooming, adjusting glasses, etc.
Devices for assisting the disabled in performing various tasks are well-known, as are devices designed to assist persons in exercising their limbs. Various devices also exist to assist arm movement in patients who are unable to lift their arms without assistance. However, most of these devices are designed for patients who are paralyzed, and many require that the arm or other limb needing assistance be surrounded by a brace. Often, such devices are bulky and inconvenient, and cannot easily be transported by a person who is wheelchair bound. Many are so expensive that the majority of patients who would benefit from such devices cannot afford them.